Burgers with attitude
Canteen Grill offers quiet patio seating.
The homemade and handmade hamburgers we’re seeing at upscale restaurants are frequently filled with vibrant flavors and even worthy of pairing with a good wine. The best actually deserve to be called gourmet burgers, because the flavors are assembled with the seriousness of a chef rather than an assembly line.
My new favorite place for these bold burgers is Canteen Grill, a cozy bistro-style place in an awful location at the edge of Riviera Village. (They’re right by Riviera Mexican Grill, but the sign is hidden by trees, so many people drive by daily without noticing the place.) George Moussalli of Samba in Redondo opened Canteen Grill as a fish restaurant about a year ago, but there was nothing special going on and the concept didn’t take off. He switched to burgers about three months ago, which was inspired, because someone here has lots of ideas about what to do with them.
The interior of the restaurant is modern and stylish. Except for the walk-up counter for to-go orders it might be mistaken for a modern lounge complete with a display of wine bottles. The music is low rather than throbbing, and if you prefer quiet you can sit outdoors on the small covered patio. The menu is tiny – everything including drinks fits on one side of a standard letter sheet, albeit with no space devoted to descriptions. A couple of extra verbs would actually be helpful, because some of these offerings are much more than they seem.
The pickles that we ordered as an appetizer, for instance. This isn’t the usual pile of dills, but a sharp, tangy heap of thick cut cucumber, onion, red bell pepper, and celery, in a marinade that includes dill and a well-calibrated amount of something very spicy. At the very least they should be called spicy pickles, and if they want to add “homemade” to that description that’s okay with me. “Middle-Eastern style” and “incredibly delicious” are accurate too, if they want to really let people know what they’re getting. It isn’t quite at the point where it will knock you off the chair, but the first bite is quite a surprise. If they had these in jars to go, I’d be buying them. Following my most recent visit, I took some home, despite the risk of spilling vinegar in my car from the Styrofoam container.
I tried a starter of the hot wings. They had the same exuberance with the pepper, but not so much that all other flavors were obliterated. I’ve had hotter, but most of the ones I’ve had that were spicier were tests of endurance rather than enjoyment.
On my first visit we started with the most traditional, Dad’s Burger, and the most outré, the Canteen Burger with arugula, parmesan cheese, and fig balsamic aioli. Dad’s Burger was just what it looked like, the archetypical American favorite, made with better quality ingredients than the usual fast food place and cooked better than the usual backyard barbecue. The Canteen Burger was much more interesting. The Parmesan crisp and arugula gave a slight funky cheese flavor and delicate bitterness, the fig balsamic lent sweetness and the unctuous garlic sharpness. It was an adult set of flavors, sophisticated and distinct, and I found it delightful.
Canteen Grill server Jasmine Esquivel with a burger worthy of pairing with a fine wine.
On a return trip I brought friends and we tried the Spicy Burger, a veggie burger, a thing called The Monster with pastrami and jalapenos, and an off-menu item that seems to always be available, a burger stuffed with blue cheese and grilled onions. That stuffed burger deserves a place on the menu, though anyone who orders it should be warned that while delicious, it’s a mess. It was sufficiently moist that the bun was falling apart, and I had to deploy my fork to get the last of it. The same was true of The Monster thanks to the pastrami – delicious but greasy. The peppery pastrami and sharp peppers overlay the simple meaty taste of a good beef patty. The spicy burger was slightly less to my taste, but only because the green chili, cheese, and salsa overwhelmed the meat. I’m not sorry I tried it, but there are things I like better on this menu.
The veggie burger here isn’t the typical grilled garden burger or similar lentil-based patty, but a homemade fava bean falafel made to fit a bun. It’s an excellent alternative, flavorful and crisp and topped with cool and garlicky cucumber sauce. I had considered trying the other non-beef sandwich, chicken with the same sauce used on the buffalo wings, but decided that having had the wings I knew what was coming. Other burgers are offered, one with truffle oil and another with chipotle sauce, and a chicken salad sandwich, and that rounds out the regular menu items.
We also tried the sides, fresh-cut regular or sweet potato fries and beer-battered onion rings. All were good, but the sweet potato fries were the standout – some of the lightest, crispest sweet potato fries I’ve ever had. If you like sweet potato fries at all, you must try these. The wine list is short but modestly priced and well-selected, and there are a few craft beers for those who cherish the duo of burgers and beer.
Canteen Grill has burgers and fries that a kid can enjoy as well as others that engage an adult palate, and the combination of serious and frivolous is disarming and fun. Fast food with style, and good wine on the side – it’s a great combination that is fun and easy on the wallet.
Canteen Grill is at 1617 PCH in Redondo Beach, near Avenue I. Free parking in rear, wheelchair access good, limited vegetarian options. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Call 310-540-0400 for take-out or reservations. B